Fatality #5 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Saturday, March 17, 2012, a 55-year-old surface foreman with 19 years of mining experience was killed when he was caught between the frame of a highwall miner transportation dolly and a front-end loader with a duck bill attachment.

Best Practices

  • Never position yourself between equipment in motion and a stationary object. Always be aware of your location in relation to machine parts that have the ability to move.
  • Ensure mobile equipment operators are aware of your location at all times.
  • Maintain communication with mobile equipment operators when working in confined areas. Ensure that line of sight, background noise, or other conditions do not interfere with communication.
  • Ensure miners are adequately trained for the task they are performing.
  • Use a tow bar with adequate length and proper rating when towing heavy equipment.
  • Make yourself more visible by wearing brightly-colored clothing or clothing that is distinguishable from surroundings.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf),  MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).

Fatality #4 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On March 20, 2012, a 54 year-old mine owner with approximately 25 years of experience was killed at an underground gemstone mine. He was cleaning fine ore with a shovel and loading it in the bucket of a front-end loader when rock fell from the top left rib about 20 feet high. The victim was working alone.

Best Practices

  • Examine work areas and identify and control all hazards before starting any work.
  • Establish safe work procedures and train all persons to recognize and understand these procedures.
  • Always examine, sound, and test for loose ground in areas before starting to work, after blasting, and as ground conditions warrant.
  • Test for loose material frequently during work activities and where necessary, scale loose material safely.
  • Install ground support in roof and ribs where conditions warrant.
  • Do not perform work alone in any area where hazardous conditions exist that would endanger your safety.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

March 2012 Impact Inspections

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The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration announced that federal inspectors issued 249 violations during special impact inspections conducted at nine coal mines and two metal/nonmetal mines last month. The coal mines were issued 187 citations, 25 orders and two safeguards, while the metal/nonmetal operations were issued 35 citations.

Click here for: MSHA report with spreadsheet (pdf).

Fatality #4 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Saturday, March 10, 2012, at approximately 6:15 p.m., a 34-year-old section foreman with 11 years of experience was killed while operating a continuous mining machine in the No. 2 entry. He was struck by a section of rock that fell from the right-hand rib. The rock was approximately 10 feet and 6 inches long, 3 feet and 4 inches high, and 10 inches thick.

Best Practices

  • Conduct thorough pre-shift and on-shift examinations of the roof, face, and ribs. A thorough exam must be conducted before any work or travel is started in an area and thereafter as conditions warrant.
  • Support any loose roof or rib material adequately or scale loose material before working or traveling in an area.
  • When hazardous roof or rib conditions are detected, areas should be dangered-off until they are made safe.
  • Rib bolts, installed on cycle and in a consistent pattern, provide the best protection from rib falls.
  • Assure that the Approved Roof Control Plan is followed and is suitable for the geologic conditions encountered. If adverse conditions are encountered, the plan must be revised to provide adequate support for the control of the roof, face, and ribs.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf),  MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).

Fatality #3 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On February 22, 2012, a 46 year-old plant mechanic with 7 years of experience was injured at a crushed stone operation when he fell 16 feet from an elevated walkway of a conveyor to the ground below. The victim and a coworker had been bolting a snub pulley in position. The coworker was positioned on a walkway on the other side of the belt. The victim was hospitalized and died on February 26, 2012.

Best Practices 

  • Establish and discuss safe work procedures. Before starting any work, identify and control all hazards.
  • Train all persons to recognize and understand safe job procedures, including the proper use of fall protection.
  • Always use fall protection when working where a fall hazard exists.
  • Install railings or cables when persons are required to work or travel near the edge of a structure.

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #3 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Saturday, March 3, 2012, a 32-year old foreman was killed while attempting to install a canopy on a Joy 21 SC Shuttle Car. The canopy was suspended from the mine roof by a cable and chain. The foreman was seated in the operator’s compartment of the shuttle car beneath the suspended canopy. The canopy shifted and fell, striking the foreman in the head, causing fatal injuries. The victim had 11 years of mining experience, 2 years and 6 weeks experience at this mine, and 32 weeks of experience as a foreman.

Best Practices

  • Before performing a materials handling job, consider all hazards and implement formal procedures that address possible hazards.
  • Devise safe methods to complete tasks involving large objects, massive weights, or the release of stored energy.
  • Always de-energize equipment and block against motion.
  • Never use permanent roof support as a mechanism for lifting heavy objects. Install lifting points that are designed and manufactured to support the intended load.
  • Use only devices designed and rated for the suspension of heavy loads and do not exceed the rated capacity of your hoisting, towing, or rigging tools.
  • When working with or near extremely heavy objects/materials suspended overhead, use a positive means to prevent objects/materials from falling, or moving.
  • Never work in the fall path of objects/materials or massive weights having the potential of becoming off-balanced while suspended.
  • Train personnel to recognize hazardous work procedures, including working in pinch points where inadvertent movement could cause injury.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf),  MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).

Fatality #2 for Coal Mining 2012

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On Sunday, February 26, 2012, at 1:15 a.m., a 52-year-old deckhand with 4 years of mining experience was determined missing. He had been assigned the task of measuring the draft of a set of empty barges that were to be loaded. He had to cross from the dock to the first empty barge. Witnesses observed him on the empty barge walking up-river on the barge. He apparently fell from the barge into the water. Co-workers saw his cap in the water and immediately called for the rescue squad. The victim was found beneath the bow of the dock at approximately 2:30 a.m. The miner was wearing a flotation device, but the flotation device was not designed to keep an unconscious miner’s face above water.

Best Practices

  • Utilize electronic devices to determine the draft in barges.
  • Install and use lifeline tie-off systems to provide fall protection over water.
  • Utilize and maintain sufficient area lighting and personal lighting.
  • Set up a look out and communications protocol. Do not work alone.
  • Ensure safe access is provided where persons are required to work or travel. Watch footing and stay clear of ropes, cables, and other obstacles. Use de-icing material to clear ice from walkways. Maintain three points of contact where practicable.
  • Wear properly fitted personal flotation devices (PFD) that are designed to keep an unconscious miner’s face above water.
  • Utilize wearable electronic emergency warning systems to immediately notify others of a fall into water. These devices can be equipped with water activated strobe lights and global positioning system (GPS) tracking.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf),  MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).

Fatality #1 for Coal Mining 2012

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On January 18, 2012, a 44-year-old utility/diesel tram operator with 1 year and 8 months mining experience, died from injuries he received on January 11, 2012. The miner was repairing a damaged water outlet (fire valve manifold) when a 1.5 inch bronze ball valve (quarter turn valve) catastrophically failed, propelling the steel manifold into the miner’s face/head. This fire valve manifold was originally damaged when an oversized load being transported on the adjacent mine track haulage system contacted the outlet causing it to separate from the 6″ mine water supply. The failure resulted from the internal threaded body of the valve separating from the external threaded portion of the valve.

Best Practices

  • When performing work on pressurized water supply piping systems, STOP ALL water flow into the pipe being worked on; BLEED ALL residual pressure from the pipeline, and when possible, OPEN A VALVE at an alternate location to ensure constant pressure relief. LOCK OUT and TAG OUT these valves to ensure safety while repairs are made.
  • NEVER REUSE components in a pressurized line that may have been damaged or compromised.
  • Ensure that components, such as valves, couplings etc. used in a pressurized water system are compatible with the highest measured or expected STATIC pressure in the system.
  • Implement a Standard Operating Procedure for the design, installation, testing, and maintenance of pressurized fluid systems that is consistent with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.
  • Install slow closing indicating valves. When opening a valve to put water flow into a pressurized system, do it slowly and minimize your exposure to pressurized components. See slow closing indicating valves on MSHA’s Belt Fire Suppression Simulator at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy. http://www.msha.gov/alerts/SafetyFlyers/ScoreaTDMineFire2009.pdf
  • Inspect, examine, and evaluate all materials that are being used during installation, replacement, or repair of pressurized water systems to ensure suitability.
  • Properly train all miners on the hazards associated with working on or around pressurized fluid piping systems.
  • Maintain safe and adequate clearance to prevent mobile equipment and machinery from contacting pressurized lines, valves, etc.
  • Install barriers to prevent equipment from damaging piping and valves.
  • Ensure adequate supervision is in place when moving oversized equipment in haulage entries.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).

Fatality #2 for Metal/Nonmetal Mining 2012

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On February 14, 2012, a 40 year-old mine owner with 8 years of experience was killed at a shale operation. The victim was operating an excavator with a rock breaker attachment. He was breaking and mining material from a near vertical wall when the face fell onto the cab of the excavator, crushing him.

Best Practices

  • Operate excavators with the cab and tracks perpendicular to, and away from, the highwall.
  • Bench or slope the material to maintain stability and to safely accommodate the type of equipment used. Do not undercut material on the face of a slope, bank, or highwall.
  • Examine highwalls, slopes, and banks from as many perspectives as possible (bottom, sides, and top/crest) while maintaining the safety of the examiner(s). Look for signs of cracking, bulging, sliding, toppling or other signs of instability. Record the type and location of hazardous conditions.
  • Use auxiliary lighting during non-daylight hours to conduct highwall examinations and to illuminate active work areas.
  • Perform supplemental examinations of highwalls, banks, benches, and sloping terrain in the working area.
  • Immediately remove all personnel exposed to hazardous ground conditions and promptly correct the unsafe conditions. When the conditions can not be corrected, barricade and post signs to prevent entry.
  • Remove loose or overhanging material from the face. Correct hazardous conditions by working from a safe location.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview (powerpoint), Overview (pdf).

Fatality #23 for Coal Mining 2011

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On Wednesday, December 7, 2011, at approximately 7:30 a.m., a 49-year-old excavator operator, with 20 years of mining experience, was fatally injured when a highwall he was working near collapsed. The excavator was being used to load rock trucks. The operator’s cab was positioned on the highwall side when the accident occurred.

Best Practices

  • Operate excavators with the cab perpendicular to, and away from, the highwall.
  • Design benches to safely accommodate the type of equipment used and include this in the Ground Control Plan.
  • Examine highwalls from as many perspectives as possible (bottom, sides, and top/crest) while maintaining the safety of the examiner(s). Look for signs of cracking or other geologic discontinuities.
  • Use auxiliary lighting during non-daylight hours to conduct highwall examinations and to illuminate active work areas.
  • Perform supplemental examinations of highwalls, banks, benches, and sloping terrain in the working area during inclement weather.
  • Immediately remove all personnel exposed to hazardous ground conditions, barricade, and/or post signs to prevent entry, and promptly correct the unsafe conditions.
  • Brief foremen and miners coming to work on any uncorrected hazardous conditions, and ensure the hazardous conditions are noted in the on-shift examination record book.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).